The Queen Mary 2 arrived in Durban on Thursday and will be leaving for Cape Town as part of her world cruise.
Image: Durban Tourism
The Durban Port on Thursday welcomed the prestigious Queen Mary 2. The ocean liner stopped over in Durban and will be on her way to Cape Town as part of her world voyage.
As Cunard's flagship, the Queen Mary 2 is the only vessel in the world to offer scheduled passenger crossings between Europe and North America.
As part of her current 110-night World Voyage, which visits 30 ports, Queen Mary 2 arrived from Singapore in Durban on Thursday, and will be docking in Cape Town on April 12. The ship, which can accommodate 2,695 guests and 1,253 crew members, will depart the next day for Southampton for the final sector of her 2026 World Voyage, which ends on April 30.
Queen Mary 2 celebrates two milestones this year: She completed her first-ever transit of the Panama Canal in January, passing under the Bridge of the Americas and marking a historic milestone in her service history. Later, in November, she will commemorate her 450th Transatlantic Crossing, a testament to her enduring legacy.
The landmark passage through the Panama Canal saw Queen Mary 2 navigate the canal’s new locks, providing guests a rare and memorable experience journeying between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Queen Mary 2, stopped in Durban on Thursday on her way to Cape Town as part of her World Voyage.
Image: Durban Tourism
Shaun McCarthy, Managing Director at Whitestar Cruise & Travel, Cunard’s South African representative, said Queen Mary 2 is more than just a cruise ship; she’s a living piece of maritime history.
"This will be one of several visits she has made to South Africa over the years, but this year seems especially significant. Not only is she marking important milestones, but out of roughly 300 to 350 cruise ships in operation today, about 150 of which are classified as luxury vessels, she remains the only true ocean liner in the world," he said.
Following her trip from Cape Town to the UK later this month, Queen Mary 2 will embark on a dedicated season of Transatlantic Crossings between May and December 2026.
The Queen Mary 2 last visited Durban on April 3, 2023, carrying around 2,000 passengers. Before that, the ship docked in Durban in 2020. At the time, It was reported that the ship was allowed to enter the harbour in order for six South African crew members to disembark. The crew members were tested for coronavirus by a ShipMed doctor, under the authority of the Department of Health, Port Health Unit, and the Department of Transport.
IOL